Title: My city

Lesson plan elaborated by: Katarzyna Maciejak

Topic:

My city. Warsaw in the past and today.

Target group

8th‑grade students of an eight‑year elementary school.

Core curriculum

1. Literary and cultural education.

2. Reading literary works. Student:

7) defines existential issues in the texts being studied and reflects them;

8) defines the aesthetic values of the literary texts being studied;

9) uses, in the interpretation of literary works, references to universal values related to social, national, religious and ethical attitudes and prioritises them;

10) uses in the interpretation of literary texts elements of knowledge about history and culture;

11) uses in the interpretation of literary works the necessary contexts, eg biographical, historical, historical‑literary, cultural, philosophical, and social.

3. Receipt of cultural texts. Student:

6) defines the aesthetic values of the cited cultural texts;

7) finds in the texts of contemporary popular culture (eg in films, comics, songs) references to traditional literary and cultural themes.

The general purpose of education

Students, based on the analysis and interpretation of the Stare miasto poem and the song Sen o Warszawie differentiate emotional states of the speaking subject and learn about contrast as a poetic measure.

Key competences

• communicating in the mother tongue;

• communicating in foreign languages;

• learning to learn

• social and civic competences.

Learning outcomes

Student:

• characterizes the most important monuments located in Polish cities;

• justifies associations connected with Warsaw;

• identifies the emotional state of the speaking person in the poem and in the song;

• justifies the choice of iconographic material for poetic images;

• indicates the contrast in the poem as a poetic measure, determines its function.

Teaching methods / techniques

• giving: talk;

• practical: subject exercises;

• exhibiting: recording;

• programmed: using a computer, using an e‑textbook;

• intersemiotic translation.

Forms of work

• individual activity;

• collective activity.

** Methodological guidelines**

Invitation to intertextuality and connectivism

One of the language training and texts reception aims is developing the ability to recognise the repetitive images, themes, motives and topoi in different cultural texts. The ability to notice the connections at the intertextual level lets us to develop the skill of synthesising and critical reception of literary texts.

At the same time, we want to encourage both, the students and the teachers, to create their own impressionistic and expressive elaborations through emotions and art, i.e.: through personal creativity (art works, photography, film, texts), elements of movement and drama, including the choice of other authors’ photography works, together with the justification. By doing this, we enrich the literary works with our own associations and thoughts. It is worth mentioning, that the activity of searching the information in the available sources itself is consistent with the connectivism principles, especially with the idea of constant learning and noticing connections.

We call this task: finding the key. It always includes the choice (selection) of the relevant examples, or the completion of a creative task and preparation of short presentation together with justification.

Example:

Choose three photos from the history of photography that in your opinion best illustrate the message of the literary work.

or

Use your phone camera and record a short film, in which you will present your impression on the topic raised in the poem.

An extremely important element of the proposed educational activities is initiating a discussion involving the whole class, during which every student can ask questions regarding the reasons of the individual choice of examples, or the task completion. In order to read their colleague interpretation key, the students should ask the leading questions such as: Why did you chose this particular photo? What were the other photos that you could choose? What caused you to bring the reproduction of this painting to the today’s lesson? What were you thinking about when you were preparing the script for your film? Where were you looking for inspirations for your drawing?

These activities comply with the method of intersemiotic translation, and allow students to consolidate their knowledge and develop skills through associations, referring to symbols, emotions and images, generating mental structures and practical use of vocabulary. The involvement of the whole group into discussing the students’ presentations allows the active participation in the lesson.

Adjusting the language level

The opened questions included in the abstracts are adjusted to the level presented by younger and older learners. Imposing challenges is in our opinion the key motivation tool in foreign language learning. During the lesson we encourage students to use the strategies used in the formative assessment such as: the technique of lights, sticks, ABCD cards. This way we can provide feedback, that is so important for the students.

Depending on the students’ level the teacher may encourage them to answer in their first language, or in English, what is in line with the bilingual teaching. At this educational stage the most important is that the student understands the question, and is able to summarise the lesson in the foreign language, preferably using the newly acquired vocabulary. The tool placed at the end of each abstract may be helpful, as it requires the student to answer the questions: What have I learnt today? What was difficult? What do I need to repeat?

Before the lesson

The teacher, on the basis of methodical guidelines, asks an indicated student or students to familiarize themselves with the poem contained in the abstract and to prepare a 2‑3-minute film shoot by a mobile phone. Their task will be to start classes with the presentation of their film and to encourage other students to discuss.

Lesson plan overview (Process)

Introduction

1. The teacher defines the purpose of the course and gives the students the criteria for success.

2. Talk. The teacher asks students which Polish or foreign cities they find interesting, which are of great importance to them, what fascinates them in urban space and what deters them. Interactive ex. no. 1 and 2.

Realization

1. Selected students present a video prepared for the classes together with the justification for the author's realization. They explain what they were inspired by and why they decided to take specific shots. The teacher encourages other students to ask questions to the presenters, e.g.

• What does the scene ... refer to?

• Where did the idea for the background music come from?

• What is the role of the prop ... in the video?

If necessary, you can return to the presented material in the summary phase of the lesson.

2. The teacher starts a conversation about the capital of Poland – old and modern Warsaw. The teacher encourages students to write down as many associations related to the city as possible (interactive ex. no. 3).

3. A reading of Konstanty Ildefons Gałczyński's poem entitled Stare Miasto (Old Town). Determination of the lyrical subject. The teacher draws the students' attention to the year in which the poem was written, asking them to place the statement in a historical context (post‑war destruction). Students try to name the attitude of the speaker towards the changes taking place in Warsaw.

4. Separation of contrast as a poetic device. The teacher asks students to name the poetic devices in Gałczyński's work. The teacher draws attention to the role of contrast, asking students to tell in their own words what images of the city are juxtaposed in the work. Interactive ex. no.5.

5. Listening to the song Sen o Warszawie (Dream about Warsaw) by Czesław Niemen. Conversation about emotions caused by the message of the work and the speaker’s feelings towards the city. Students compare the two works and wonder what face of the city was shown in them and what face was passed over in silence. The discussion should lead to the conclusion that the authors idealize the city because they are particularly connected with it.

Summary phase

The teacher asks students questions to sum up, e.g.

• How did K. I. Gałczyński present Warsaw in his poem?

• What is the function of contrast used by the poet in the work?

• Compare the speaker’s emotions towards the city in Gałczyński's poem and in Niemen's song. What are the similarities? What are the differences?

Homework

Describe your favourite place in your city/town (e.g. street, district, monument). Illustrate the text with photographs taken by you.

The following terms and recordings will be used during this lesson

Terms

Texts and recordings

My city

The city attracts people. It offers a wide range of cinemas, theatres and galleries. It can be considered as a recognised space, but at the same time anonymous. It leads passers‑by along the elegant streets and scares them with its dark corners. The city is attractive but also terrifying And what are the cities you find interesting? What impresses you in urban environment and what deters you from it?

Today we are talking about Warsaw – both old and modern. What do you associate this city with?